Video: Shall we go up … or down?

posted at 11:31 am on June 10, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Bill Whittle released this new Firewall video earlier in the week, in which he responds to Chris Hayes’ Memorial Day remarks and compares the handwringing over the definition of “hero” to what it is that those who give their last full measure of devotion to our nation are trying to preserve. Some Americans shade their eyes to the chaos of the world and just assume that it doesn’t happen here because, well, it just doesn’t. There is a reason for that, and Bill reminds us of exactly what that reason is:

It’s amazing what a free people can do when their creativity and productivity are fully released. We create wealth, raise the standard of living to a level where even our poor have living standards equal to that of the middle class in some Western nations, and push the envelope of science, technology, and exploration. We can only do that in an environment of liberty, secured by those very men and women who heroically sacrifice a few years of their youth to provide the security necessary for that liberty — some of whom sacrifice their lives in that effort. If Mogadishu figuratively remains far distant from Disneyland, it’s because we have heroes standing every inch of the way between the two.

Speaking of liberty, Bill also has a new Afterburner out for PJTV on the present and future of public-employee unions. Why are PEUs such a problem in managing the proper size of government? Bill explains it clearly, and says that Wisconsin may show that we are indeed different from Greece after all: